You'll Never Be Alone
by Epona-Rhi
Summary: Cloti. The scene with Cloud and Tifa just before they go off to fight Sephiroth. Anyways, this is it, with a little twist of my own as to what I think really happened. Read and Review!


Disclaimer: None of these characters are mine… If they were, I wouldn't need to write this, as it'd be in the game anyways…¬_¬ So yeah. I own nothing.

This is my first FF fanfic, I've written Harry Potter ones before, and I got some good reviews off them. So, Yeah, I hope you enjoy it. Please Review ! ^_^

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'I want you all to go home and find out what you're fighting for.'

And one by one they left, Barret first, muttering darkly something about; 'wantin' to see Marlene.' Then went Cid, the familiar trail of dark grey smoke trailing behind him. Yuffie was next to go, taking one last lingering look at the materia, then shooting an accusatory glance as if daring them to take it. The others soon followed, reluctantly leaving the magnificent Highwind and setting off to their hometowns and their loved ones. 

Cloud watched them go with a confident feeling he'd be seeing them again soon. As his extraordinary Mako Blue eyes followed the rest of the team until they disappeared, the bright azure sun swallowing them into the horizon. He ruffled a strong, gloved hand through his remarkably spiky blonde hair. He knew they all had someone or something irreplaceable to hold onto, but he also knew that they would come back, to fight, to kill Sephiroth and save the planet.

A small sigh interrupted his thoughts. Spinning around, he was met with the beautiful sight of Tifa, her long Chestnut Brown hair running like a river down her strong back, reaching her well shaped and incredibly beautiful legs, which were bathed in golden sunlight emanating from the horizon and highlighting hr pretty face. Her expression was wistful, almost dreamy, yet sad, her deep hazel eyes half shut, her soft pink lips tightly closed. She looked like something was troubling her, and Cloud was determined to find out what it was.

'Tifa?' he asked, tentatively with a soft whisper almost, the unnatural quiet did not seem like it wanted to be broken. 'What are you going to do?'

She turned towards him with a forlorn look on her face, and smiled, not looking as though she meant it.

'Did you forget?' she asked, her soft gentle voice shattering Clouds silence, though she was not shouting. 'I'm all alone, I don't have anywhere to go.'

She turned to walk out of the bridge of the Highwind, probably with the intention of going outside. Walking wistfully down the shiny metal runway, the dancing sunbeams coming from the window bounced from the pigments in her hair, making it seem alive as it trailed softly behind her. Cloud took one look and instantly followed her, like a lost sheep. 

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He landed gracefully on the patch of earth atop the great hill the had parked the mighty Highwind upon. Down below them, in it's strange and sinister glory, was the great carter, where stood the great General Sephiroth. Cloud turned to lend a hand to Tifa who was gracefully descending the string ladder dangling precariously from the Balcony of the Airship. She gratefully accepted it and hopped off the ladder, turning to face Cloud with a sweet smile. Their hands lingered for a moment, until the actually finally realised they were holding hands. They reluctantly let go, each of them feeling a considerable coldness where the others hand had been.

Tifa walked down the ragged, rocky hill, coming to a stop just before the edge of the crater. She gazed out across the breathtaking scenery around them, the massive crater, a blemish on the face of a beautiful woman, with snow on the mountain ranges to decorate her prefect features. Tifa sighed. 

'Everybody's gone…'

This statement was unnecessary, they couldn't have been more alone and they both knew it.

'Yeah,' Cloud agreed, looking in the opposite direction, across the ocean surrounding the island of snow, the bitter wind playing with his spiky hair. 'we don't have anywhere or anyone to go home to.'

'You're right…' Tifa replied with the same wistful air. 'But… I'm sure someday… they'll come back, don't you think?'

Cloud's earlier thoughts returned to him. He knew, deep down, that his comrades, his team would come back. But as he stood here, looking out over the vast crater that held their last battle with their deadly opponent, out of which they might not all come back alive, his mind wondered.

'Hmm… I wonder…?Everyone has an irreplaceable something or someone they're holding on to…' He knew what his was. 'But this time… out opponent…'

Tifa nodded, her magnificent head reflecting dim twilight, and from behind Cloud could somehow tell that she had closed her eyes.

'Hmm… but that's alright, even if no one comes back,' Cloud felt the tension building in the air, and turned to face her back, he could see her shoulders tense up. 'As long as I'm with you, as long as you're by my side… I won't give up, even if I'm scared.'

Cloud felt his mouth go dry. He felt proud that Tifa relied on him so… it made him for his failures as a kid. 

'…Tifa…' he began.

'No matter how close we are… we were far apart… before this.' She cut across him, with an obvious need to get this out. She seemed to be thinking along the same lines as he. 'But when we were in the Lifestream, surrounded by all those screams of anguish, I heard your voice… sniff…'

Feeling his heart go tight, Cloud wanted to take a step forward and take her in his arms… make her stop crying… make everything alright again…

She carried on bravely; 'You probably won't remember this… But deep in my heart I heard you calling my name… or at least I thought I did…'

His hurting heart jumped into his throat… He could remember… He could remember it so clearly it was like a movie only he could see.

'Yeah… At the time I heard you calling me. You were calling me back from the stream of consciousness in the Lifestream. After all…,' he added, with a sudden afterthought. 'I promised. That if anything were to happen to you, I would come to help.'

He saw her velvet head tip slightly upwards, towards the now smoky blue sky. They stood in silence for a moment, contemplating the last conversation, Cloud staring wordlessly in awe at Tifa's beauty, even when her face was turned away from him. She really was one hell of a lady.

'Cloud?' she broke the silence gracefully. 'Do you think the stars can hear us? Do you think they can see how hard we're fighting for them?'

'I dunno…' he mused, breaking his gaze from Tifa's pretty frame. 'But… whether they are or not, we still have to do what we can. And believe in ourselves…' He took a tentative step closer. 'Someday we'll find the answer… Right. Tifa? That's what I learned from you in the Lifestream.'

She sighed, a more contented sigh this time. This seemed perfect… a perfect time to tell her how he felt.

'Hey, Tifa…I…' He strained himself to get this out. He would not be weak anymore. 'I…there are a lot of things I wanted to talk to you about. But now that we're together like this, I don't know what I really wanted to say… I guess nothing's changed… kinda makes you want to laugh…'

Her head tilted back to normal level, and he took another shy step towards her.

'Cloud…' she started, her voice now soft, no more than a whisper. 'Words aren't the only thing that tell people what you're thinking…'

'….'

He knew what he wanted to do, he was no longer the weak, shy little boy from Nibelheim, with the girlie name. He was Cloud Strife, 21, Mercenary, and in love with Tifa Lockheart. With this thought in mind, he stepped up behind her, a little nervous, but determined none the less, and placed his strong hands delicately around her waist, and as she gasped softly in surprise, he nuzzled his face into her soft shoulder, catching the sweet smell of Cherry Blossoms. Intoxicated with her sweet smell, he mumbled into her neck.

'Yes, words aren't the only thing that tell people what you're feeling either….'

She took his hands and removed them from her waist, turning to face him with an almost tearful gaze.

'Cloud…?'

Considering his previous statement, Cloud decided that words were inappropriate at the moment. So he did the only thing he could think of to tell her how he felt.

He kissed her.

Cloud strife, 21, Mercenary, was kissing Tifa Lockheart, his childhood crush and love of his life.

It did wonders for his ego.

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'…It's almost dawn…'

He was lying sprawled out on his back on the grassy hill, the chilly air nipping at his sunny locks, an incredible sense of contentment and happiness within him. He looked down at his chest and smiled. Tifa had her head on his chest, her velvet hair covering her beautiful, shivering body. She looked up at him sleepily and smiled.

'H-huh…?'

'Sorry, did I wake you? It's almost dawn, Tifa.'

'Umm… Good Morning Cloud. Give me a little longer… Just a little longer…This day will never come again… So let me have this moment…'

He sighed, content to stay here and let Meteor fall, let Sephiroth win, as long as they were together. He could not deny er these moments.

'Yeah, Okay. This is probably the last time we'll have together.'

He looked down at her sleepy face, she was settling back into his chest, hugging him closer. He smiled and kissed he softly on the head.

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They stood looking out over the massive crater, silently basking in each others company. After the sun had fully rose in the pale blue sky, Cloud turned to walk back to the Highwind, casting a long lingering look at Tifa.

'….' Tifa looked apprehensive. Cloud gave her a reassuring look, then nodded his head in the direction if the airship.

'We'd better go.'

'But I still…!?'

'It's alright, Tifa. You said so yourself yesterday. At least we don't have to go on alone.'

He held out a hand, and she looked longingly at it before flashing him a brilliant smile and gladly took it.

'Yes… that's right!'

He flashed a confident smile back at her.

'Okay, let's go.'

He led her back to the Highwind, his strong hand in her delicate one, knowing that even if none of the others returned, he still would not be alone. They walked hand-in-hand, towards the mighty Airship, towards the glorious sunset. Possibly their last.


End file.
